Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and Importance of FairyTales. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, inc., 1975. Print.
Bruno Bettelheim was a child psychologist and writer who taught at the University of Chicago. His novel, The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, analyzed fairytales in terms of Freudian psychology. The book is meant to be an overview of the internal impact of fairy tales as well as informational analysis of specific fairy tales. The book is targeted towards either scholars interested in the psychoanalytical approach to fairy tales or the average person interested in learning about a specific fairy tale that impacted their life. The book identifies symbolic meanings within specific stories and the morals implied and learned from them. Bettelheim unravels the deeper picture to story tales and how each gives an “inner life” to a child. He states that fairytales allows each narrator, as he tells the story, to add elements to make it more meaningful to himself and to the listeners. The telling of a story to a child has to be an interpersonal event, shaped by those who participate in it. He believes that fairytales are the building blocks of personality and compares them to seeds that are planted into a child’s mind. Bettelheim suggests that some moral may teach the child things immediately while others will present their lessons later in life. He also states that the stories that do soak into the child’s mind give validity to important feelings, promote insights, nourish hopes, and reduce anxieties. Overall Bettelheim suggests that fairytales themselves are symbols of psychological happenings or problems in the reader’s life. This work is logical, information, and truly insightful. By stating the overall importance of fairytales and then going into depth about them it is easy to be captivated by the analysis Bettelheim provides. It is well researched and well thought out. His choice in using Freudian terminology shows his intricate knowledge of Freud’s works as well as a deeper understanding of how fairytales relate to child psychology. Many of the fairytales mentioned are well known and the analysis he made for each can easily be applied to one’s own understanding of the stories. This source was a great starting point in my research and gave me an understanding to the type of themes and morals I’ll be looking for. It gave many good examples of stories, which I can delve deeper into if I choose. I’ve begun to shape and develop my argument by actually learning what some of the morals implied in stories are and that many have actually affected children. I would have, however, liked to have a more general start because I was not very sure where I was going to go specifically with my research and having all these morals thrown upon me was a bit overwhelming.
Source 2:
Leone, Bruno, Stuart B. Miller, and David M. Haugen, eds. Fairy Tales. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc., 2001. Print.
This anthology contains selected works from important psychological scholars and literary critics. Bruno Bettelheim, Jack Zipes, and C.S. Lewis are among the writers in this anthology and the rest are comparable in their writings. The purpose of this book is to inform about the repeated themes in fairytales as well as a few analyses of specific fairytales. This book’s audience is most likely scholars or students wishing to learn about the themes and analyses in fairytales. This anthology is broken into three different parts. The first is the Characteristics of Genre. This deals with the definition of fairytales, the central themes replicated in fairytales, and the meanings of enchantment in fairytales. Some of these themes are the appearance versus reality, in which a character might appear lowly and uncivilized but shall prove themselves to be a heroic figure by the end of the story. There is also the theme of the victory of the weak over the strong, in which the message that not all those who are weak are powerless. And lastly the transformation through love and not magic, which allows the reader to see that through an everyday thing such as love we can transform our lives and ourselves to great heights. The second part is the writers and collections of fairytales. Here we see selected literary criticisms about the Grimm brother’s tales or the tales of Hans Christian Anderson. Lastly, the final part is the analysis of specific fairytales. In this section stories such as Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, and Cinderella are analyzed for their deeper meaning and purpose. This work gave so much insight into the analyses because they were gathered from many people rather than just one person. It was also more interesting because the opinions differed from those of Bruno Bettelheim regarding themes within fairytales. Yet many of themes, like appearance versus reality, still remained within the text and were comparable to those made by Bettelheim. This is also well researched because it is more than one person’s analysis. This source allowed my research to develop into a more concise path. I’ve begun to look at stories specifically and mentally form my own analyses especially regarding the story of little Red Riding Hood. I also was able to learn the literary influence that fairytales have on other literature work.
Source 3:
Goldberg, Christine. "The Construction of Folktales." Journal of Folklore Research 23.2/3 (1986): 163-76. JSTOR. Web. 5 Oct. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org>.
Christine Goldberg has taught at the University of California, both at Berkley and Los Angeles. She provides a cultural criticism of fairytales as well as an analysis of how published folktales can be used for teaching and for research. This article’s purpose is an informative analysis of the construction and purpose of folktales. This article’s audience is most likely scholars of folklore or those in need of referencing folklore. Goldberg suggests that folktales are so fascinating because the represent a kaleidoscope image of our lives. We as readers are able to find so many parallels within the basic stories of children. The kaleidoscope also conveys folktale’s variability within seeming limitations, as details or structures reappear from pattern to pattern. To deconstruct the folktale we must first look at the two concepts developed as tools to help investigate the development of folktales. These are: type and motif. The motif is used to display identity or similarity in the elements of the tale while the type reveals that somewhat more than half the types included consist of a single narrative motif. She suggests that motifs are the substance from which a personal narrative of the story can be made. Goldberg states that folktales are artistic products with structure, functions, and beauty. This analysis of folktales in general was relatively good. Although most of Goldberg’s assumptions and insights were based off of other peoples she clearly has establish her own opinion regarding the importance and construction of folktales. I especially liked her simile in that fairytales are kaleidoscopes. It painted a beautiful image on the parallels and beauty fairytales bring to our lives rather than them just being basic reading material. Because she does have opinions of other analysts her work is well researched and well developed in structure and writing. This source was too general in the construction fairytales. I had originally researched this to establish why and how I would be able to construct my own fairytale. However, this source gave me very little information on what I need to do in order to create my own fairytale. Unlike the other sources this did not suggest any themes within fairytales and was too general regarding their structure.
Source 4:
Zipes, Jack David, ed. The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, Inc., 1993. Google Book Search. Web. 17 Oct. 2010. <http://www.google.com>.
Jack Zipes was the professor of German at the University of Minnesota and completed a PhD in comparative literature from Columbia University. He writes many analyses of fairytales and has formed an argument that they have a socialization function in society. The purpose of this book is to compare the different cultural versions of Little Red Riding Hood while providing an analysis of the story in the introduction. The audience of this book will mostly likely be scholars and anthropologists learning of the cultural implications and influences on the folktale of Little Red Riding Hood. Zipes’ thesis is that Perrault (Original documenter/writer of Little Red Riding Hood) transformed a hopeful oral tale about the initiation of a young girl into a tragic one of violence in which the girl is blamed for her own violation. He states that because he molds the female perspective into one fostered by violence the child in the story is thus treated as a sadomasochistic object. She has become a “seducer” luring the wolf into chasing after her. What can generally be stated is that Little Red Riding Hood brought the events to herself by straying off the path, whether that path may be one of purity and innocence or of simply good moral standards. The girl represents the woman who walks alone at night, violating the rules of conduct and, as a result, that she faces the possibility of rape. If one were to generalize Zipes’ theory they would find that Little Red Riding Hood’s innocence is her weakness. She places her self away from the safe path to her grandmothers and into the path of the wolf. She is so blinded by the disguise of the wolf she cannot tell till the very end that he is not her grandmother. Innocence of the child is what can lead to many tragic endings within folklore. Although I personally do not feel that Little Red Riding Hood is about sexuality of the female, the analysis provided by Jack Zipes is thorough and clear. To suggest that Little Red Riding Hood is an innuendo for rape is too far fetched of a direction for me that I cannot accept that as its true meaning, unless there were other researchers who developed this opinion. I do, however, agree that the story deals with the themes of innocence in children. She is so blinded by her innocence that she cannot see the wolf, cannot see the path, and thus cannot protect herself from the dangerous situation. If this innocence does represent sexual innocence then the wolf would therefore be her rapist and a representation of all seduced men, but I personally cannot see this connection. This source was a great one to use as I begin to specifically delve into the analyses of Little Red Riding Hood. Although I did not agree with the specifics of the analysis it opened my mind to the possibilities of analyses for this story and for all other stories I may look at.
Source 5:
Fields, William B. "The Royal Road to Critical Analysis." The English Journal 54.7 (1965): 616-18. JSTOR. Web. 17 Oct. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org>.
William Fields is the head of the department of English at John Simpson Junior High School. The purpose of this article is to inform and analyze the themes and messages within the story of Little Red Riding Hood. His analysis here is intended for students and everyday readers of The English Journal, rather than scholars, critics, or anthropologists. First Fields looks into the messages brought out by the theme of family within the fairytale. He suggests that by the absence of the father from the story the grandmother must have been a maternal grandmother otherwise the mother wouldn’t have given so much concern to her well being. He also suggests that there is a younger child in the family or some other factor that demands the mother’s care or else she would not have sent her assumedly eight-year-old daughter out into the woods by herself. What even more suggests the mother’s lack of concern is her knowing of the wolf in the woods yet she continues to let Little Red Riding Hood make the journey. Fields suggests that Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother have never met before for two reasons. The first being that she knocks on the door and waits for her grandmother to respond with, “enter.” He states that this polite interaction is not a usual one of a grandmother and granddaughter who have had relations beforehand. The second reason being that she did not question the grandmother’s appearance despite the hairy facial features and the unusually white teeth for that time. Here Fields questions the purpose of the wolf and the interest of the wolf. The wolf could have had Little Red Riding Hood in the woods or could have had the Grandmother after discovering her whereabouts. However, the Wolf goes to extreme detail to make himself appear as the Grandmother by dressing as her. This shows his intelligence, his cunning, and also his sensitivity to criticism as Little Red makes her observations to his physiognomy. He questions the validity of the wood-cutter/hunter for the wolf would have known such men were in the woods and thought more carefully. Fields indicates that the end of the folktale is confusing leaving us with little to form a moral upon. This analysis was very specific and basic. It touched upon the basic meanings and realistic observations one could make of the folktale. Although not as in depth as Jack Zipes’ analysis it did, however, convey many good themes and ideas regarding the characters. I especially was intrigued by the one of the wolf in questioning his reasoning for this intricate plan. The simplicity of this analysis although did turn me away from its reliability as a true analysis of the story. This source was not as good as my others when analyzing the themes and messages in Little Red Riding Hood. Although it gave a good deal of insight regarding the fundamental layers of the story it lacked the depth and vigor that I was looking for in an analysis.
Source 6:
Yolen, Jane. "Touch Magic." Children's Literature in Education: Kluwer Academic Publishers, Excerpt from America's Cinderella: August House, 2000. JSTOR. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.jstor.com>.
Jane Yolen is an author of children’s books and fairytales as well as given six honorary doctorates in literature. She has also won several awards including the World Fantasy Association Lifetime Achievement Award. The purpose of this essay is to inform the reader about the true themes and morals in Cinderella, but because there is no way to prove her analysis is factual the essay becomes more of an opinionated editorial. The audience of this essay could be scholars, however, because many of her works are more oriented towards children and average citizens this source is most probably meant for those just wishing to learn about Cinderella in general. The regular analysis everyone forms about Cinderella is that it is a story of rags to riches. However, Cinderella was already rich even though she was a maid in her own home, so the story is not one inspiring the atypical rags to riches story, but rather breaking free of wicked enslavement. The story is about the “stripping away of the disguise that conceals the soul from the eyes of others,” which refers to Cinderella’s rags and her ball gown as both disguises of who she truly is. Cinderella exemplifies the graceful, well-bred 17th century female, even forgiving her wicked stepsisters and finding them husbands of nobility. Some critics suggest that without Cinderella’s fairy godmother she would be nothing and continue to reside in the ashes. Yolen, however, suggests that the true Cinderella becomes lost within the translations from when it was originally written. But the universal Cinderella speaks to us all as: the child mistreated, the highborn lady in disguise bearing her trials with patience and fortitude. Her own decisions are based on intelligence rather than wishing because she knows that wishing solves nothing without action. This source was very logical as well as well researched. There were many different perspectives and versions that were brought into this analysis so it is seen that the author did her research and delved into the original meanings of the original story. The topic regarding the themes and morals within Cinderella has been adequately addressed and pertains to my research. There is no bias in the research however it difficult to determine whether or not this is factual considering it is her own critical analysis. From this source I learned the morals of the original Perrualt Cinderella; that she assumes the disguised roles everyone places on her, but in the end she breaks free from those roles of enslavement and shows everyone who her soul really is. This will support my evidence because many adults already take on these morals in their everyday lives by not succumbing to peer pressure and the like. To already unconsciously perform them will help them recognize the morals within the story.
Source 7:
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and Importance of FairyTales. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, inc., 1975. Print. Bruno Bettelheim was a child psychologist and writer who taught at the University of Chicago. His novel, The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, analyzed fairytales in terms of Freudian psychology. The book is meant to be an overview of the internal impact of fairy tales as well as informational analysis of specific fairy tales. The book is targeted towards either scholars interested in the psychoanalytical approach to fairy tales or the average person interested in learning about a specific fairy tale that impacted their life. When analyzing the story Jack and the Beanstalk readers learn of the perspective of the child. The giant in the story resembles the only giant like creature a child has ever know, the adult. When Jack gets the better of the giant this teaches a child that they can grow up to be like the giant and acquire the same powers and strength. However, the parents are represented by the cow and the man. The cow, who is milky white, is the mother and in the beginning of the story can no longer provide for Jack, which is why he is so eager to sell her. The cow disappoints Jack and he is going to exchange her for something more desirable. The man represents the inadequate father who never wants to deal with Jack and just gives him what he needs, in this case the beans. The story tells us that, “the belief in magic can help in daring to meet the world on our own, we must take the initiative and be willing to run the risks involved in mastering life,” which explains the importance of magic in all fairytales. Magic is the push and drive to which we can find ourselves and our goals. Climbing the beanstalk was of Jack’s own initiative and he risks his life three times to gain the magical objects. The Beanstalk represents the great power one can achieve; on this beanstalk the child will climb into the sky to achieve a higher existence. Jack is insecure about his newly discovered masculine strength, which is why he hides in the oven and copper pot. On the first trip Jack steals the gold, but returns a second day knowing full well the dangers he is placing himself in. On his second trip he takes the hen that lays golden eggs, which teaches him about how if one runs out of things if one cannot reproduce them. With this golden hen he doesn’t need to climb back up the beanstalk, but he does because of his need for adventures. Jack takes the golden harp, which symbolizes beauty, art, and all things higher in life. As he is running from the giant for the last time Jack learns that he cannot rely on magic to escape and if he continues to rely on these magical solutions he will be destroyed. The story teaches us that even if magic is needed to push us to try we cannot rely on it to solve our problems. This source was extremely logical, well researched, and overall a very defined and thought out analysis. It was a clear response and very morally acceptable and beautiful analysis. Each part of the story was symbolized and accounted for and it definitely brought forth the ideas of moral development within children. It was adequate evidence for my project because it discussed the morals in jack in the beanstalk which is what I am studying. This analysis may be biased to his own interpretations for an analysis is a highly educated guess on what the cogs of a story are. I truly enjoyed researching this story. I never understood each symbol as a something that represents growth and manhood. This analysis was perfect evidence for my thesis because from this analysis I can prove how adults see the meanings in these symbols and understand the importance of magic in the beans, the beanstalk, and the objects, yet the importance of regular action to accomplish what is necessary. These themes are used in every day life and thus will help prove adults who use them are able to recognize them.
Source 8:
Hanks, Carole, and D.T. Hanks, Jr. "Little Red Riding Hood": Victim of the Revisers: Children's Literature, 1996. Print.
D.T. Hanks Jr., is an assistant professor at the University of Texas.
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, inc., 1975. Print.
Bruno Bettelheim was a child psychologist and writer who taught at the University of Chicago. His novel, The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, analyzed fairytales in terms of Freudian psychology. The book is meant to be an overview of the internal impact of fairy tales as well as informational analysis of specific fairy tales. The book is targeted towards either scholars interested in the psychoanalytical approach to fairy tales or the average person interested in learning about a specific fairy tale that impacted their life.
The book identifies symbolic meanings within specific stories and the morals implied and learned from them. Bettelheim unravels the deeper picture to story tales and how each gives an “inner life” to a child. He states that fairytales allows each narrator, as he tells the story, to add elements to make it more meaningful to himself and to the listeners. The telling of a story to a child has to be an interpersonal event, shaped by those who participate in it. He believes that fairytales are the building blocks of personality and compares them to seeds that are planted into a child’s mind. Bettelheim suggests that some moral may teach the child things immediately while others will present their lessons later in life. He also states that the stories that do soak into the child’s mind give validity to important feelings, promote insights, nourish hopes, and reduce anxieties. Overall Bettelheim suggests that fairytales themselves are symbols of psychological happenings or problems in the reader’s life.
This work is logical, information, and truly insightful. By stating the overall importance of fairytales and then going into depth about them it is easy to be captivated by the analysis Bettelheim provides. It is well researched and well thought out. His choice in using Freudian terminology shows his intricate knowledge of Freud’s works as well as a deeper understanding of how fairytales relate to child psychology. Many of the fairytales mentioned are well known and the analysis he made for each can easily be applied to one’s own understanding of the stories.
This source was a great starting point in my research and gave me an understanding to the type of themes and morals I’ll be looking for. It gave many good examples of stories, which I can delve deeper into if I choose. I’ve begun to shape and develop my argument by actually learning what some of the morals implied in stories are and that many have actually affected children. I would have, however, liked to have a more general start because I was not very sure where I was going to go specifically with my research and having all these morals thrown upon me was a bit overwhelming.
Source 2:
Leone, Bruno, Stuart B. Miller, and David M. Haugen, eds. Fairy Tales. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc., 2001. Print.
This anthology contains selected works from important psychological scholars and literary critics. Bruno Bettelheim, Jack Zipes, and C.S. Lewis are among the writers in this anthology and the rest are comparable in their writings. The purpose of this book is to inform about the repeated themes in fairytales as well as a few analyses of specific fairytales. This book’s audience is most likely scholars or students wishing to learn about the themes and analyses in fairytales.
This anthology is broken into three different parts. The first is the Characteristics of Genre. This deals with the definition of fairytales, the central themes replicated in fairytales, and the meanings of enchantment in fairytales. Some of these themes are the appearance versus reality, in which a character might appear lowly and uncivilized but shall prove themselves to be a heroic figure by the end of the story. There is also the theme of the victory of the weak over the strong, in which the message that not all those who are weak are powerless. And lastly the transformation through love and not magic, which allows the reader to see that through an everyday thing such as love we can transform our lives and ourselves to great heights. The second part is the writers and collections of fairytales. Here we see selected literary criticisms about the Grimm brother’s tales or the tales of Hans Christian Anderson. Lastly, the final part is the analysis of specific fairytales. In this section stories such as Beauty and the Beast, Little Red Riding Hood, and Cinderella are analyzed for their deeper meaning and purpose.
This work gave so much insight into the analyses because they were gathered from many people rather than just one person. It was also more interesting because the opinions differed from those of Bruno Bettelheim regarding themes within fairytales. Yet many of themes, like appearance versus reality, still remained within the text and were comparable to those made by Bettelheim. This is also well researched because it is more than one person’s analysis.
This source allowed my research to develop into a more concise path. I’ve begun to look at stories specifically and mentally form my own analyses especially regarding the story of little Red Riding Hood. I also was able to learn the literary influence that fairytales have on other literature work.
Source 3:
Goldberg, Christine. "The Construction of Folktales." Journal of Folklore Research 23.2/3 (1986): 163-76. JSTOR. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.jstor.org>.
Christine Goldberg has taught at the University of California, both at Berkley and Los Angeles. She provides a cultural criticism of fairytales as well as an analysis of how published folktales can be used for teaching and for research. This article’s purpose is an informative analysis of the construction and purpose of folktales. This article’s audience is most likely scholars of folklore or those in need of referencing folklore.
Goldberg suggests that folktales are so fascinating because the represent a kaleidoscope image of our lives. We as readers are able to find so many parallels within the basic stories of children. The kaleidoscope also conveys folktale’s variability within seeming limitations, as details or structures reappear from pattern to pattern. To deconstruct the folktale we must first look at the two concepts developed as tools to help investigate the development of folktales. These are: type and motif. The motif is used to display identity or similarity in the elements of the tale while the type reveals that somewhat more than half the types included consist of a single narrative motif. She suggests that motifs are the substance from which a personal narrative of the story can be made. Goldberg states that folktales are artistic products with structure, functions, and beauty.
This analysis of folktales in general was relatively good. Although most of Goldberg’s assumptions and insights were based off of other peoples she clearly has establish her own opinion regarding the importance and construction of folktales. I especially liked her simile in that fairytales are kaleidoscopes. It painted a beautiful image on the parallels and beauty fairytales bring to our lives rather than them just being basic reading material. Because she does have opinions of other analysts her work is well researched and well developed in structure and writing.
This source was too general in the construction fairytales. I had originally researched this to establish why and how I would be able to construct my own fairytale. However, this source gave me very little information on what I need to do in order to create my own fairytale. Unlike the other sources this did not suggest any themes within fairytales and was too general regarding their structure.
Source 4:
Zipes, Jack David, ed. The Trials and Tribulations of Little Red Riding Hood. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, Inc., 1993. Google Book Search. Web. 17 Oct. 2010. <http://www.google.com>.
Jack Zipes was the professor of German at the University of Minnesota and completed a PhD in comparative literature from Columbia University. He writes many analyses of fairytales and has formed an argument that they have a socialization function in society. The purpose of this book is to compare the different cultural versions of Little Red Riding Hood while providing an analysis of the story in the introduction. The audience of this book will mostly likely be scholars and anthropologists learning of the cultural implications and influences on the folktale of Little Red Riding Hood.
Zipes’ thesis is that Perrault (Original documenter/writer of Little Red Riding Hood) transformed a hopeful oral tale about the initiation of a young girl into a tragic one of violence in which the girl is blamed for her own violation. He states that because he molds the female perspective into one fostered by violence the child in the story is thus treated as a sadomasochistic object. She has become a “seducer” luring the wolf into chasing after her. What can generally be stated is that Little Red Riding Hood brought the events to herself by straying off the path, whether that path may be one of purity and innocence or of simply good moral standards. The girl represents the woman who walks alone at night, violating the rules of conduct and, as a result, that she faces the possibility of rape. If one were to generalize Zipes’ theory they would find that Little Red Riding Hood’s innocence is her weakness. She places her self away from the safe path to her grandmothers and into the path of the wolf. She is so blinded by the disguise of the wolf she cannot tell till the very end that he is not her grandmother. Innocence of the child is what can lead to many tragic endings within folklore.
Although I personally do not feel that Little Red Riding Hood is about sexuality of the female, the analysis provided by Jack Zipes is thorough and clear. To suggest that Little Red Riding Hood is an innuendo for rape is too far fetched of a direction for me that I cannot accept that as its true meaning, unless there were other researchers who developed this opinion. I do, however, agree that the story deals with the themes of innocence in children. She is so blinded by her innocence that she cannot see the wolf, cannot see the path, and thus cannot protect herself from the dangerous situation. If this innocence does represent sexual innocence then the wolf would therefore be her rapist and a representation of all seduced men, but I personally cannot see this connection.
This source was a great one to use as I begin to specifically delve into the analyses of Little Red Riding Hood. Although I did not agree with the specifics of the analysis it opened my mind to the possibilities of analyses for this story and for all other stories I may look at.
Source 5:
Fields, William B. "The Royal Road to Critical Analysis." The English Journal 54.7 (1965): 616-18. JSTOR. Web. 17 Oct. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org>.
William Fields is the head of the department of English at John Simpson Junior High School. The purpose of this article is to inform and analyze the themes and messages within the story of Little Red Riding Hood. His analysis here is intended for students and everyday readers of The English Journal, rather than scholars, critics, or anthropologists.
First Fields looks into the messages brought out by the theme of family within the fairytale. He suggests that by the absence of the father from the story the grandmother must have been a maternal grandmother otherwise the mother wouldn’t have given so much concern to her well being. He also suggests that there is a younger child in the family or some other factor that demands the mother’s care or else she would not have sent her assumedly eight-year-old daughter out into the woods by herself. What even more suggests the mother’s lack of concern is her knowing of the wolf in the woods yet she continues to let Little Red Riding Hood make the journey. Fields suggests that Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother have never met before for two reasons. The first being that she knocks on the door and waits for her grandmother to respond with, “enter.” He states that this polite interaction is not a usual one of a grandmother and granddaughter who have had relations beforehand. The second reason being that she did not question the grandmother’s appearance despite the hairy facial features and the unusually white teeth for that time. Here Fields questions the purpose of the wolf and the interest of the wolf. The wolf could have had Little Red Riding Hood in the woods or could have had the Grandmother after discovering her whereabouts. However, the Wolf goes to extreme detail to make himself appear as the Grandmother by dressing as her. This shows his intelligence, his cunning, and also his sensitivity to criticism as Little Red makes her observations to his physiognomy. He questions the validity of the wood-cutter/hunter for the wolf would have known such men were in the woods and thought more carefully. Fields indicates that the end of the folktale is confusing leaving us with little to form a moral upon.
This analysis was very specific and basic. It touched upon the basic meanings and realistic observations one could make of the folktale. Although not as in depth as Jack Zipes’ analysis it did, however, convey many good themes and ideas regarding the characters. I especially was intrigued by the one of the wolf in questioning his reasoning for this intricate plan. The simplicity of this analysis although did turn me away from its reliability as a true analysis of the story.
This source was not as good as my others when analyzing the themes and messages in Little Red Riding Hood. Although it gave a good deal of insight regarding the fundamental layers of the story it lacked the depth and vigor that I was looking for in an analysis.
Source 6:
Yolen, Jane. "Touch Magic." Children's Literature in Education: Kluwer
Academic Publishers, Excerpt from America's Cinderella: August House, 2000. JSTOR. Web. 23 Oct. 2010. <http://www.jstor.com>.
Jane Yolen is an author of children’s books and fairytales as well as given six honorary doctorates in literature. She has also won several awards including the World Fantasy Association Lifetime Achievement Award. The purpose of this essay is to inform the reader about the true themes and morals in Cinderella, but because there is no way to prove her analysis is factual the essay becomes more of an opinionated editorial. The audience of this essay could be scholars, however, because many of her works are more oriented towards children and average citizens this source is most probably meant for those just wishing to learn about Cinderella in general.
The regular analysis everyone forms about Cinderella is that it is a story of rags to riches. However, Cinderella was already rich even though she was a maid in her own home, so the story is not one inspiring the atypical rags to riches story, but rather breaking free of wicked enslavement. The story is about the “stripping away of the disguise that conceals the soul from the eyes of others,” which refers to Cinderella’s rags and her ball gown as both disguises of who she truly is. Cinderella exemplifies the graceful, well-bred 17th century female, even forgiving her wicked stepsisters and finding them husbands of nobility. Some critics suggest that without Cinderella’s fairy godmother she would be nothing and continue to reside in the ashes. Yolen, however, suggests that the true Cinderella becomes lost within the translations from when it was originally written. But the universal Cinderella speaks to us all as: the child mistreated, the highborn lady in disguise bearing her trials with patience and fortitude. Her own decisions are based on intelligence rather than wishing because she knows that wishing solves nothing without action.
This source was very logical as well as well researched. There were many different perspectives and versions that were brought into this analysis so it is seen that the author did her research and delved into the original meanings of the original story. The topic regarding the themes and morals within Cinderella has been adequately addressed and pertains to my research. There is no bias in the research however it difficult to determine whether or not this is factual considering it is her own critical analysis.
From this source I learned the morals of the original Perrualt Cinderella; that she assumes the disguised roles everyone places on her, but in the end she breaks free from those roles of enslavement and shows everyone who her soul really is. This will support my evidence because many adults already take on these morals in their everyday lives by not succumbing to peer pressure and the like. To already unconsciously perform them will help them recognize the morals within the story.
Source 7:
Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, inc., 1975. Print.
Bruno Bettelheim was a child psychologist and writer who taught at the University of Chicago. His novel, The Uses of Enchantment: The meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, analyzed fairytales in terms of Freudian psychology. The book is meant to be an overview of the internal impact of fairy tales as well as informational analysis of specific fairy tales. The book is targeted towards either scholars interested in the psychoanalytical approach to fairy tales or the average person interested in learning about a specific fairy tale that impacted their life.
When analyzing the story Jack and the Beanstalk readers learn of the perspective of the child. The giant in the story resembles the only giant like creature a child has ever know, the adult. When Jack gets the better of the giant this teaches a child that they can grow up to be like the giant and acquire the same powers and strength. However, the parents are represented by the cow and the man. The cow, who is milky white, is the mother and in the beginning of the story can no longer provide for Jack, which is why he is so eager to sell her. The cow disappoints Jack and he is going to exchange her for something more desirable. The man represents the inadequate father who never wants to deal with Jack and just gives him what he needs, in this case the beans. The story tells us that, “the belief in magic can help in daring to meet the world on our own, we must take the initiative and be willing to run the risks involved in mastering life,” which explains the importance of magic in all fairytales. Magic is the push and drive to which we can find ourselves and our goals. Climbing the beanstalk was of Jack’s own initiative and he risks his life three times to gain the magical objects. The Beanstalk represents the great power one can achieve; on this beanstalk the child will climb into the sky to achieve a higher existence. Jack is insecure about his newly discovered masculine strength, which is why he hides in the oven and copper pot. On the first trip Jack steals the gold, but returns a second day knowing full well the dangers he is placing himself in. On his second trip he takes the hen that lays golden eggs, which teaches him about how if one runs out of things if one cannot reproduce them. With this golden hen he doesn’t need to climb back up the beanstalk, but he does because of his need for adventures. Jack takes the golden harp, which symbolizes beauty, art, and all things higher in life. As he is running from the giant for the last time Jack learns that he cannot rely on magic to escape and if he continues to rely on these magical solutions he will be destroyed. The story teaches us that even if magic is needed to push us to try we cannot rely on it to solve our problems.
This source was extremely logical, well researched, and overall a very defined and thought out analysis. It was a clear response and very morally acceptable and beautiful analysis. Each part of the story was symbolized and accounted for and it definitely brought forth the ideas of moral development within children. It was adequate evidence for my project because it discussed the morals in jack in the beanstalk which is what I am studying. This analysis may be biased to his own interpretations for an analysis is a highly educated guess on what the cogs of a story are.
I truly enjoyed researching this story. I never understood each symbol as a something that represents growth and manhood. This analysis was perfect evidence for my thesis because from this analysis I can prove how adults see the meanings in these symbols and understand the importance of magic in the beans, the beanstalk, and the objects, yet the importance of regular action to accomplish what is necessary. These themes are used in every day life and thus will help prove adults who use them are able to recognize them.
Source 8:
Hanks, Carole, and D.T. Hanks, Jr. "Little Red Riding Hood": Victim of the
Revisers: Children's Literature, 1996. Print.
D.T. Hanks Jr., is an assistant professor at the University of Texas.